Flowlines are commonly used in several industrial applications. One example are lines used in the oil and gas industry to connect a petroleum wellhead to pump truck or other such equipment. In some circumstances these flowlines are temporary in nature and as such readily assembled by connecting several segments together, the result being a joint between each segment. This permits assembly of the temporary flowline to a custom length and layout configuration, depending on the location and operational requirements.
These flowlines are frequently used in operations where the internal pressure in the flowline can be several thousand pounds per square inch. Under these conditions, if a joint between flowline segments were to fail, the results can be catastrophic. Under conditions of high pressure, the energy release resulting from flowline segment separation can cause flowline segments to become projectiles that are ejected at high velocity. This is a particularly unsafe, and sometimes lethal, situation. Prior art methods have been developed to secure flowline segments to reduce the chances of injury or death to nearby workers in the case of a fail in a flowline joint. In some cases, these can be clamps that are secured to either side of a joint and which have a structure to join each clamp. The primary drawback in this type of arrangement is the expense and complexity of the clamping system, as well as the time need to install a clamp at each joint along a run of flowline segments. Thus, what is needed a flowline restraint system that is simple, less costly, and easy to install.